Welcome to Last Chance (6 page)

“Good morning, Lainie. I'll bet you don't remember me.” Juanita, still in her choir robe and showing every one of her teeth in a big smile, leaned in from the other side of the pew and took one of Lainie's hands in both of hers.

“You're the lady from the diner, right?” Lainie pulled her hand back and tugged at the hem of her shorts.

“Bless your heart! You have a good memory. So glad you came this morning. I have to apologize for the choir, though. It's usually better than it was today, but one of the altos is out of town.”

Lainie shrugged. “It was okay.”

This clearly was not the response Juanita expected, because she stopped smiling and her mouth got a pinched look. She seemed to swell as she took in air though her nose.

Elizabeth finished her conversation and turned around. “Good morning, Juanita. Fine service, wasn't it?”

Juanita's teeth-baring smile returned. “Yes it was, even if the choir was only ‘okay.'”

Elizabeth looked puzzled as she took Lainie's arm. “I hope you'll excuse us, Juanita, but Brother Parker is still greeting folks at the door and I want to introduce him to Lainie before he heads downstairs to the fellowship hall. Why don't we meet you down there?”

As Elizabeth led Lainie up the aisle to meet Brother Parker, Lainie wished she could pull at the hem of her shorts to lengthen them a bit before she met the pastor, but she could feel Juanita's eyes on her back and wouldn't for a million dollars give her that satisfaction.

W
hat in the world did you say to Juanita to get her tail in such a knot? She was about ready to snatch you bald-headed.”

“She apologized for the way the choir sounded, and I said it didn't sound that bad.” A warm, mixed-up casserole aroma enveloped them, and Lainie could hear the sound of people talking and laughing in the fellowship hall.

“Oh, well, there you have it. That choir is the pride and joy of the church—of the whole town, really. They've won all sorts of competitions and gone on tours as far away as Oklahoma and Texas and I don't know where all. They even sang in Branson once.”

“I'm not the one who said it sounded bad. She did.”

“And that was your tip-off to fall all over yourself telling her how great it sounded.” Elizabeth shifted her purse to the hand that had been clutching the stair rail and sighed. “Well, she'll get over it. Come on, if we don't get in there, there'll be nothing left but chili mac and Juanita's specialty.”

It may have been Lainie's imagination, but the room seemed to get a bit quieter when she and Elizabeth entered it. A few people already sat eating at rows of long tables stretching the length of the room, but most still stood in a line that snaked toward tables laden with casserole dishes, platters, and slow cookers. Across the
hall, under a high window, another table was well stocked with cakes, pies, and plates of cookies. Lainie had never seen so much food in one place before, and except for what was left of Elizabeth's chicken, a cake or two, and a large bowl of pale green Jell-O with cottage cheese, miniature marshmallows, and pineapple, she couldn't identify a single dish.

“Hi. Mom's got some places saved for you over there.” Matthew skidded to a stop in front of Lainie and Elizabeth as they finished filling their plates and stood surveying the now crowded tables. “Here, Miss Elizabeth, lemme carry your stuff.”

He led the way between the tables to the far side of the room where Fayette, flanked by Faith and Grace in high chairs, sat chatting with a small, wiry woman with auburn hair and piercing brown eyes.

“Here they are. Can I go now?” Matthew set Elizabeth's plate down and unfolded both chairs Fayette had leaning against the table with a single snap.

“Sure, go eat with your friends, but I'll need you to get these high chairs back to the nursery for me, so don't run off when you're done.”

Elizabeth scooted her chair up to the table and leaned past Fayette to speak to her companion. “Good to see you back, Rita. How was the conference? Don't believe you've met Lainie Davis. Lainie, this is our mayor, Rita Sandoval.”

Rita flashed a smile showing gold-rimmed teeth and stuck out her hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong for such a small woman. “Always good to see a new face in Last Chance.” She turned back to Elizabeth, her voice growing even more animated. “The conference was absolutely tremendous! I got some great ideas about how to put this place on the map.”

She sat back and took a sip of her iced tea, looking from one face to the other with a mysterious half smile.

“Well, what? Tell us about it.”

“I'm afraid you're just going to have to wait a while. Good ideas have to incubate. If you break an egg open before it's ready to hatch on its own, all you've got is a mess. But I'll tell you right now, it's a winner.”

Emphasizing the finality of her decision to remain mum, Rita turned to Lainie. “So, Miss Lainie Davis, tell me all about yourself. Where'd you come from? What brought you to Last Chance? Are you planning on settling down here?”

Lainie was poking something that had noodles and hamburger with her fork. She looked up and shrugged. “I'm from California. My car broke down. I don't know how long I'll stay.”

Rita narrowed her gaze. “Yes, but why here? Last Chance isn't exactly on the beaten path. How'd you find us?”

“There were some signs on the interstate, I guess. Last Chance for gas, Last Chance for rest, stuff like that.”

Rita slapped the table with her hand and sat back. “I knew it. I just knew it. Where's Russ?” She craned her neck and looked around until she spotted him at another table forking in chocolate cake and coconut pie. “Russ! Russ Sheppard!”

Russ looked up and Lainie would have sworn he rolled his eyes. But he put down his fork, pushed back his chair and ambled over to their table. “Afternoon, ladies. What can I do for you, Rita?”

“Lainie, tell him why you're in Last Chance.”

Lainie looked from one to the other in confusion. “He already knows. My car . . .”

“No, no.” Rita brushed Lainie's explanation aside as if it were a pesky fly. “Not why you're in this area, tell him why you are here in Last Chance and not, say, in San Ramon.”

Lainie finally got it. “Oh. The signs on the interstate.”

Rita smacked the table again. “There. Didn't I tell you those
signs were what we needed to bring folks into town? And you fought me ever' step of the way. Now I want you to tell me that I was right and you were wrong.”

Russ sighed. “Rita, those signs have been out there for two and a half years, and as far as I know, this is the only time they ever brought anyone to town. You know full well that if it weren't for me and a couple others on the town council, you'd likely drive this town into bankruptcy with all your schemes.”

“I know no such thing!” Rita's brown eyes shot sparks, and she looked as if she had plenty more to say, but Elizabeth broke in.

“All right, you two. This isn't the council room. It's the Lord's house. You can save this for the town council when you're ready to share your new ideas, Rita.”

Russ looked like he couldn't take much more good news. “Ideas? Good night, what are you up to now, Rita?”

“Never you mind. You just sit on that chile farm of yours and watch the town crumble to dust if you want to, but some of us believe in the future. You can help us grow, or you can just stay home. In fact, I'd rather you stayed home.”

Russ heaved another sigh and turned back to his table. “Oh, I'll be there all right. Count on it.”

Rita's eyes glistened with tears. “That man makes me so mad! I declare he'd audit a Sunday school picnic. ‘How much did that watermelon cost? Were those the cheapest paper cups you could find?' Well, would someone tell me just exactly what's wrong with believing in the future?”

Elizabeth patted Rita's hand. “I wouldn't worry too much about it. Russ is who he is. And when you get down to it, that's probably exactly why he was elected to the town council. And why he's the church treasurer, for that matter. We need both types, I think—visionaries like yourself and the more practical types like Russ.”

“I, for one, would not mind one bit if Last Chance got a little bigger.” Fayette rummaged around in a diaper bag and pulled out some wipes. “I could use the customers, and I could use the help. Thanks to Carlos's big family, I can usually get help in the summer, but Tina goes back to college next week, and then I don't know what I'll do.”

“What kind of hours are you talking about?”

All three ladies stopped talking and looked at Lainie.

“Why?” Fayette stopped scrubbing, and the twin she was working on took the baby wipe out of her hand and dropped it on the floor. “Are you looking for work?”

Lainie shrugged. “Maybe.”

Fayette sat back in her chair and looked at Lainie. “Have you ever done waitressing?”

“I've done all kinds of things, including waitressing.” Lainie waited while Fayette looked thoughtful. “So?”

“You know, Fayette, this could be just the thing,” Elizabeth said. “You know you need the help. And here's Lainie needing a job. I call this more than coincidence.”

“If it weren't for Matthew, I could keep on going just like I always have.” Fayette still sounded like she was thinking about it. “But I just worry about him so. School's going to be starting soon, and it would make such a difference if I could be home after school.”

“Worry about Matthew? Why, that's just silly. Not that you shouldn't lighten your load, but Matthew is one of the finest boys in this town. Always has been.”

“He is a good boy, but he's getting awfully restless, Rita. Being tied to the diner like I am, I don't know where he is half the time. Up until this summer, he was in and out of the diner all day, mostly coming in for something to eat, bringing his friends with him. But I don't see him now till I get home. And when he does come in with
friends, half the time I don't even know who they are. They're not from around here. I know that much.”

“Well then, it looks like you've got your problem solved.” Elizabeth began gathering the empty paper plates around her into a stack. “You want to be home more. Lainie needs a job. And there you have it. By the way, I agree with Rita. You've done a fine job with Matthew. He's just feeling his oats.”

Lainie had been just sitting and waiting. She was becoming accustomed to conversation concerning her circling around a bit before it came back to rest. Fayette still looked concerned, but she smiled at Lainie.

“All right, then. Let's give it a try. Why don't you come in at around eleven and help me through the afternoon for a while till you learn your way around. Then when school starts in a couple weeks, I'll go home after the lunch rush and come back later to close it down.”

“Sounds good.”

“I'll bring a uniform for you. I've worn about every size. I should have one small enough for you.” Fayette looked around. The room had nearly emptied and Matthew was nowhere in sight. “Well, I guess my boy forgot about these high chairs.”

Rita stood up. “Don't worry about it. Lainie and I can get them back.”

“And I can hear my pillow calling me.” Elizabeth brushed the crumbs from her pale blue slacks. “Nothing says Sunday afternoon like a nap.”

Ray Braden threw his pencil down on the papers in front of him and pushed away from the table. The air conditioner lodged in the window of his tiny trailer did a good job of staving off the
Sunday afternoon heat, but its drone was putting him to sleep. He stretched and picked up the paper plate holding the remnants of the potluck dinner Matthew had run in while Fayette waited in the car with the Baca girls. He headed outside for the dumpster but stopped and grinned when he spotted Lainie Davis walking across the parking lot.

“Hey, Lainie! Still wearing your Sunday-go-to-meeting best, I see.”

“Oh, shut up. Who broke their neck getting over here to tell you what I wore to church?”

Ray shrugged. “No secrets in Last Chance. Sneeze at one end of town, and someone at the other end will bless you before you get your hankie out. What are you up to?”

Lainie gestured at the Closed sign propped in the window. “Elizabeth is napping and I thought maybe I could get a beer, or at least some air-conditioning. And you're not even open.”

“Nope, always closed on Sundays. But come on back. I can get you a cold drink.”

Ray led the way back to the small travel trailer behind the bar. Lainie ducked to enter the low door and looked around. Except for a fan of papers spread across the tiny Formica table, the one-room space was immaculate. A neatly made bed took up one end of the room and a kitchenette stretched along one side. Ray was already squatting in front of the little refrigerator.

“It's pretty well stocked. What'll it be? Got a cola, coupl'a lemon-limes, some orange, and some grape.”

“No beer?”

“No, I lost what little taste I had for it working in the bar. Don't keep it around. You ever have a grape soda?”

“No. It sounds awful.”

Ray popped the tab. “You gotta try it. You'll never go back to beer.”

Lainie took a cautious sip and made a face. “Well, it's cold. I can say that for it. And sweet.”

Ray popped open another can and dropped in the chair across the table from Lainie. He scooped the papers into a single pile and pushed them to the side.